Started more than nine years ago at The Olympian, The Video Guy column is a weekly look at films from a "regular guy's" perspective. I have no formal training as a critic, other than I've seen a lot of movies and have a lot of opinions, but I'll do my best to give you an idea of what's out there and whether it's worth your time.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..

Get a taste of some international intrigue

The trailers and lead up to KILLER ELITE (R, 2 stars) certainly piqued my interest, not only for the inspired pairing of Video Guy favorites Jason Statham and Robert DeNiro, but also for the implied promise of non-stop action.

In reality, the movie is … kinda boring, which is a rare feat for a movie featuring Statham. It’s also a period piece, something the marketing of the movie failed to properly convey. Not that it makes a difference, but I just thought it was interesting that the film takes place in 1980.

I like Statham trying to step up his game, and working with DeNiro is the right move, but the end result is a somewhat tedious affair that never jells despite some interesting ingredients.

Based on a true story, the flick revolves around mercenaries Danny (Statham) and Hunter (DeNiro), who are introduced with a daring mission that doesn’t quite go the way it should, leading Danny to proclaim that he’s finished with the job. Of course, that’s never the case, and a year later, Danny is forced back into action when Hunter is taken prisoner by a deposed sheik.

Hunter took a mission to eliminate the three ex-SAS agents who killed the sheik’s sons during the Oman War, but couldn’t complete it. Now Danny must finish the job or see his old friend executed.

As Danny and his team begin to track and take out the targets, they are followed by Logan (Clive Owen), another former SAS agent who works with the British government in some sort of secret cabal. The film becomes a cat-and-mouse game as Danny and Logan try to gain the upper hand in their clandestine operations across the globe.

This wouldn’t be a Statham movie without some fight scenes, and the erstwhile Transporter does his fair share of kicking and punching. Heck, even DeNiro shows off his fight chops. But the action scenes have a gloomy air about them, devoid of the panache found in Statham’s best works.

In the end, “Killer Elite” resides in a stranger nether region of “serious action film” that is too light for spy/drama aficionados and not kinetic enough for action junkies.

***

Helen Mirren can do just about anything, and after THE DEBT (R, 3 stars), we can add spy to the list. Mirren anchors an impressive cast in this sprawling tale that spans several decades, a taut thriller that relies on small revelations and character interplay more than explosions.

Mirren stars as Rachel, a former Mossad agent who, along with her colleagues David and Stefan, helped capture and eventually kill the Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, more commonly known as The Surgeon of Birkenau for his horrific medical experiments during WWII.

The film jumps around in time quite a bit, so we see the younger Rachel (Jessica Chastain) arrive on this mission, where she studies under David (Sam Worthington) and Stefan (Martin Csokas) and prepares to infiltrate Vogel’s office to gain intel on his activities.

The tension between the trio is palpable, with both men attracted to the beautiful Rachel. But the mission takes primary focus, and when it goes awry, they are forced to house Vogel in their apartment while awaiting response from several countries on how to handle the war criminal.

As we flash back and forth in time, we see how this mission has affected these agents – there appears to be a deep-seeded dismay about what has happened, although the way the film is structured, we don’t understand why.

Chastain again delivers a strong performance, another impressive mark in her breakout year. I’ve never thought much of Worthington, but this is arguably his best role, using his character’s rectitude in his favor.

Very few intelligent dramas and thrillers are aimed at adults, and the number shrinks by the year due to economics. But this movie more than doubled its $20 million budget – proving that this kind of film can be engaging, entertaining and profitable.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..